Combination dry and steam flatirons



Sept. 4, 1956 R. J. ZERVECK ETAL COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRONSFiled Jan. 21, 1954 mn C O O W i s a 8 Q U P r\ w m m Mk c I ah V h wn mA F 8 by J X M Th e'm AHSOTTI e y.

COVCI'.

United States Patent COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRONS Richard J.Zerveck, Pomona, and Frank E. Finlayson and Alfred G. Swenson, Ontario,Calit, asslgnors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication January 21 1954, Serial No. 405,377

2 Claims. (CI. 38-77) for supplying water to it whereby it may be usedas a steam flatiron.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a flatiron is providedwith a steam chamber in which steam is generated for steam ironing andwater is supplied to the steam chamber through a water pipe to the outerend of which a water reservoir is detachably connected. In one form ofthe invention the water reservoir comprises a flexible self-supportingbulb. The flow path from the bulb to the steam chamber includes wallswhich define a water metering orifice. The water pipe is positioned atone side of the iron and sufliciently forwardly of the rear end thereofthat the presence of the water reservoir does not interfere with theplacing of the iron on its heel rest in the normal manner when not inuse. Preferably the outlet from the bulb is normally closed by asuitable valve, such as a ball valve, which is displaced when the bulbis connected to the water pipe. Also, the bulb may be provided with anair vent at its end remote from the coupling which air vent is solocated that when the bulb is attached to the flatiron it faces towardthe front end of the flatiron whereby water will not leak out to it whenthe flatiron is upended on its heel rest. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the bulb, instead of being formed offlexible material, is formed from nonflexible material such as asuitable metal. I

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of aflatiron embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the structure shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on a larger scale than that of Figs.1 and 2, of a part of the water holding bulb.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the flatiron sole plate which maybe heated by a suitable resistance unit embedded therein in thewell-known manner. The outlineof the heating unit is indicated at 2.Attached to the soleplate by suitable means (not shown) is a' cover 3,the soleplate and cover together forming the body of the flatiron.Attached to the cover at the heel or rear end of the flatiron is handle4. The handle, in the case of a travel flatiron, may to advantage bepivoted on the cover whereby when the flatiron is to be packed thehandle may be folded down against the top surface of the Such structuresare known and since a specific handle pivoting arrangement forms no partof the present invention one has been indicated only generally. In Fig.2, 5 indicates a bracket fixed on cover 3 on which the handle is pivotedas indicated at 6. On bracket 5 is a 2,761,228 Patented Sept. 4, 1956suitable spring latch (not shown) for holding the handle in' its up orironing position, and which may be pressed inwardly, to release thehandle to permit of the handle being folded down against the top wall ofcover 3. The

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pivoted handle and latch arrangement indicated is that I disclosed inthe application of Alfred G. Swenson,Serial No. 369,840 filed July 23,1953, now Patent No.

2,727,322, and assigned to the same assignee as is the instantapplication. At its rear end cover 3 projects beyond the rear edge ofthe soleplate as is indicated at 8,

such projection in cooperation witha projection 9 at the rear upper endof handle 4 forming a heel rest upon which the flatiron may be upended.

In the body of the flatiron midway between its ends are walls 10 whichdefine a steam chamber 11 to which water is supplied when the flatironis to be used for steam ironing. Steam chamber 11 is closed by a coverplate 12 fastened in place by studs, two of which are shown at 13. Insoleplate 1 at its forward end are ports 14 through which steam isdischarged, against the surface being ironed, the ports at their innerends being connected by a suitable passage 15 to steam chamber 11. i

The present invention has to do particularly with means for supplyingwater to steam chamber 11.

Connected to steam chamber 11 is a water supply member or pipe 20, theinner end of which is fixed in an end wall of chamber 11 as shownparticularly at 21 in Fig. 1. Pipe 20 projects out through the top wallof cover 3 at one side of handle 4 and has an upwardly facing end 22.For supplying water to pipe 20 there is provided a selfsustained bulb 23of suitable flexible material such as rubber, having a neck 24 which isadapted to be detachably connected to pipe end 22, the connectionincluding walls which form a metering orifice for regulating the flow ofwater from the bulb through pipe 20 to the steam chamber. In thevpresent instance the detachable coupling and orifice structure comprisesa cap 25 threaded over pipe end 22 provided with a metering orifice 26.On cap 25 is a threaded nipple 27. Fixed in bulb neck 24 by suitablemeans, such as the interengaging teeth 27a, is a sleeve 28 having athreaded outer end 29 which may be screwed over nipple 27. A ferrule 27bclamps bulb neck 24 to sleeve 28 and prevents bulb 23 from rotating onsleeve 28. The inner end of sleeve 28 is shaped to V which when sleeve28 is connected to nipple 27 extends be facing forward.

through sleeve 28 and engages ball valve member 31 to unseat it and holdit unseated as shownin Fig.=. 2.

Bulb 23 preferably is tapered or pear-shaped, being largest at the outerend remote from neck 24 and at its upper and what may be termed. itsforward edge it'is provided with a small air vent 33 for the ingress andegress of air. Pipe end 22 is so located that when the bulb is connectedto it, the bulb is spaced a sufi'icient distance from the side of handle4 so as not to interfere with the hand of the user, and sufficiently farfrom the rear end of the flatiron so as not to interfere with theflatiron being upended on rear projections 8 and 9. Thus, as shown inFig. 2, the bulb 23 is entirely forward: of a line extending through theheel rest projections 8 and 9, so that the flatiron may be upended onits heel rest in the normal manner.

It is important when the bulb is attached to the flat.- iron that vent33 be facing toward the, front of the diat- 'iron so that when theflatiron is upended on projections 8 and 9 water will not leak throughthe vent. To this end the threaded connection between sleeve 28 andnipple 27 is so formed that when the end of the sleeve comes against theshoulder surrounding nipple 27 the vent will In other words, theshoulder surrounding nipple 27 forms a stop for the connection to insurealways the correct location of vent 33 when the bulb is connected to thewater tube.

Preferably a flatiron embodying the invention will be provided with anadjustable thermostat for regulating automatically the temperature ofthe soleplate. The thermostat and its control means has not beenillustrated as such parts form no part of the present invention.However, a flatiron embodying the invention could to advantage embodyalso a thermostat and a control means such as that disclosed and claimedin the application of Swenson and Finlayson, Serial No. 369,841 filedJuly 23, 1953, now Patent No. 2,723,336 and assigned to the sameassignee as the instant application.

When the flatiron is to be used for steam ironing, bulb 23 (detachedfrom the flatiron body) is squeezed to collapse it, the neck of the bulbinserted in water, and pressure on the bulb then released topermit it toexpand to.

its normal shape. In expanding water will be drawn into the bulb. It maybe filled in this manner to the desired extent. When filled the ballvalve prevents flow of water out through the neck of the bulb when heldapproximately vertical. Sleeve 28 is then screwed down over nipple 27 toattach the bulb to the flatiron body as shown in Fig. 2. When attached,post 32 unseats ball valve 31 to permit flow of water from the bulb tothe steam chamber. At this time, as pointed out above, air vent 33 facesforward toward the front of the flatiron so that when the flatiron isupended on its heel rest water will not leak out through the vent.

The flatiron may be used for dry ironing with the bulb detached from it;or with the bulb attached providing there is no water in the bulb.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the invention wherein the bulb 35which forms the water reservoir instead of being formed from flexiblematerial. is formed from non-flexible material such as a suitable metal,the top wall 36 of the bulb being provided with a filling opening closedby a removable plug 37. In this figure, 38 indicates the outer end ofthe water supply pipe (corresponding to pipe end 22 of Figs. 1 to 3). Inits outer end is fixed a nipple 39 having a metering orifice 40, aninwardly tapered shoulder 41, and a projecting end 42 which correspondsin function to tubular post 32 of Figs. 1 to 3. The lower end of bulb 35is in the form of a sleeve or neck 43 threaded in its interior to adaptit to screw down over pipe end 38. The neck is shaped to provide atapered surface which seats on tapered shoulder 41 when the bulb isscrewed onto the pipe end, the engaging surfaces serving to form a sealto prevent leakage of water and also a stop to insure that air vent 44,corresponding to air vent 33 of Figs. 1 to 3, faces toward the front ofthe flatiron when the bulb is screwed down onto the pipe end. At itsinner end sleeve 43 is shaped to provide a valve seat against which aball valve 45 seats to seal the passage through sleeve 43 when it is notscrewed onto pipe end 38. The ball valve is unseated as shown in Fig. 4when the bulb is screwed down onto pipe end 38. The water reservoir ofFig. 4 is used for steam ironing in the same way as is bulb 23, the onlysignificant'ditference being that it is filled through the fillingopening in its top wall; and it can, if desired, be filled withoutremoving it from pipe end 38. Since the reservoir of Fig. 4 is fillablethrough the opening in its top wall, the bulb may, if desired, bepermanently attached to the pipe end 38. Also if the bulb in the form ofinvention shown in Figs. 1-3 were provided with a filling openingsimilar to that in Fig'. 4, the bulb could be permanently attached, ifdesired, to the pipe 20.

When the invention is embodied in a travel flatiron as shown in thedrawing, the travel flatiron may be compacted for packing by folding thehandle down onto the top wall of the flatiron body and placing thedetached bulb alongside the handle.

By the invention, simple, compact means is provided for supplying waterto a steam flatiron which is easy to use, which can be manufactured atlow cost, and which does not interfere with use of the flatiron as a dryiron.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Lettters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In an electric flatiron, a soleplate, a cover fastened over thesoleplate, a handle carried by the cover, the rear end of the handle andthe rear end of the cover being shaped to provide points of supportwhich form a heel rest upon which the flatiron may be upended, wallswhich define a steam chamber within the flatiron, a water supply memberhaving its inner end connected to the steam chamber and its outer endpositioned at the surface of said cover at one side of the handle andforward of the rear end of the cover, a water reservoir, detachablecoupling means connecting the reservoir to the outer end of the saidmember, said coupling means having walls which define a metering orificein the flow path for water from the reservoir to the steam chamber, theouter end of said member being spaced from the rear end of the cover adistance such that the reservoir does not extend beyond the end pointswhich form the heel rest, said reservoir having side and top walls defining a top edge, an air vent formed through said top edge and toward thefront end of the flatiron, whereby water will not leak through the ventwhen the flatiron is upended on its heel rest, and said detachablecoupling means including stop means which serve to position thereservoir with respect to the flatiron with the air vent directed towardthe front end of the flatiron when the reservoir is connected totheouter end of said member.

2. In an electric flatiron having a soleplate and a cover, walls whichdefine a steam chamber within the flatiron and ports in the soleplate towhich steam is supplied'from the steam chamber, means for supplyingwater to the steam chamber comprising a water supply member having itsinner end connected to the steam chamber and its outer end extendingthrough said cover and positioned at the surface of said cover, aflexible and self-supporting water reservoir adapted to be filled bymanual collapse and release thereof, detachable coupling meansconnecting the reservoir to the outer end of said water pipe, saidcoupling having walls which define a metering orifice in the flow pathfor water from the reservoir to the steam chamber, a ball and seatforming a valve in the reservoir controlling flow of water from saidreservoir, and means forming a part of said coupling for unseating saidball of said valve when the reservoir is connected to said member.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS991,568 Walter May 9, 1911 1,241,352 Doering et a1. Sept. 25, 19172,237,381 Wallace Apr. 8, 1941 2,284,411 Fielding May 26, 1942 2,530,672Weiland Nov. 21, 1950 2,550,825 Kolodie May 1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS509,374 Great Britain July 14, 1939

